Chain washing device



March 20, 1951 cKNEELY 2,545,890

CHAIN WASHING DEVICE Filed July 2, 1946 FIG. 3

FLOYD B. Mc KNEELY INVENTOR Patented Mar. 20, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,545,890 CHAIN WASHING DEVICE Floyd B. McKneely, Great Kills, N.Y.

Application July 2, 1946, Serial No. 681,088

This invention relates to a device for cleaning the anchor chains offloating equipment and vessels such as ships, tankers, barges, and thelike. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a system ofnozzles for ejecting water or other cleaning liquid to remove foreignmatter from anchor chains after the latter have been submerged innavigable waters.

Heretofore in the cleaning of anchor chains, the usual practice has beento water-wash the chain as it is being drawn up into the vessel with ahand hose. Due to the adherent nature of the foreign matter, such asmud, slime, etc., clinging to the chain, a stream of water of fairlylarge diameter and under a substantially high pressure is necessary.Such a high pressure water stream is dangerous to handle with a handhose, requiring the cautious attention of at least one operator. Evenwith water under high pressure, complete removal of the foreign matterby washing with a single stream is difficult to attain. Moreover, aportion of the mud, etc., removed is invariably washed up onto the deckof the vessel along with some of the wash water, requiring an additionalremoval of this secondary deposition.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device forcleaning anchor chains without the aforesaid difficulties. It is afurther object to provide an efficient means for removing foreign matteradhering to anchor chains. A still further object is the provision of asystem of nozzles for effectively washing anchor chains. These and otherobjects which will be apparent to those skilled in the art are attainedin accordance with the present invention.

It has been found, in accordance with this invention, that an effectivesystem for cleaning anchor chains can be installed along the paththrough which the anchor chain passes. The device of this inventionaccordingly comprises a hawse pipe sloping downwardly and outwardly fromthe forecastle deck of the vessel to the side of the vessels hull. Anumber of nozzles are positioned along the circumference of the hawsepipe and are adapted to direct streams of wash liquid toward the lowerinternal surface of the hawse pipe so that a chain being drawn upwardlythrough said pipe may be washed free of foreign matter adhering thereto.The foreign matter thus removed passes down and out of the hawse pipe.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to theattached drawing.

Figure 1 is a partial cross sectional view of a 3 Claims. (01. 114-179)2 1 vessel in which the cleaning device of this invention is installed.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken along the line 22 of the hawsepipe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 33 at right anglesto the axis of the hawse pipe shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 1, hawse pipes I and 2 slope. downwardly andoutwardly from the forecastle deck Is to the side of the vessel's hullI9. Along the circumference of hawse pipes I and 2 are positioned anumber of nozzles I, 8, 9 and 4, 5, 6, respectively. Water or othercleaning liquid is drawn through conduit H], which conveniently may bethe fire line of the vessel. Liquid passes under pressure throughcontrol valve I I, which diverts part of the stream through conduit I2and part through conduit l3. The liquid stream which passes through lineI2 is separated into a plurality of streams passing through conduits I4,[5, and I 6 directed into the interior of hawse pipe 2 through nozzles4, 5, and 6, respectively. In a similar manner the liquid stream passingthrough line I3 is diverted into three streams and directed throughnozzles I, 8, and 9 to the interior of hawse pipe I. The nozzles aredirected downward, either vertically or at a small angle to the verticalto avoid splashing of the liquid on the deck of the vessel and to obtainan optimum washing effect of the anchor chain.

In Figure 2 a longitudinal section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1is shown and in Figure 3 a horizontal cross section taken along the line33 is shown. It is to be noted from these views that one of the liquidstreams, namely, that passing through line I5 and nozzle 5, is directedvertically downward toward the lower internal surface of the hawse pipeand strikes the anchor chain l1 between the links thereof in a straightline, thereby efiectively removing foreign matter adhering to saidlinks. The remaining secondary streams passing through lines I4 and I6and nozzles 4 and 6 are directed at an angle to the vertical streamissuing from line I5 and nozzle 5. It has been found, in accordance withthis invention, that the arrangement of nozzles as shown is to bepreferred. It has been further discovered that the angle which thesecondary streams make with the vertical primary stream must be takeninto consideration if the utmost cleaning efficiency of the anchor chainis to be attained. Thus, it has been found that when the projections ofthe primary vertical stream and the secondary angular streams on thevertical plane passin through the axis of the hawse pipe intersect at anangle of about 15, foreign matter adhering to the chain is efiectivelyremoved, said chain lying along the lower internal surface of the hawsepipe and being washed by the primary and secondary liquid streams. Whilethe above angle of about 15 is to be preferred, the path of streams mayhave projections on the vertical plane through the axis of the hawsepipe, intersecting over a range of from about 5 to about 25 to effect asubstantially complete removal of the mud, slime, etc., adhering to thechain.

The device of this invention has been shown with three nozzles andgenerally this number is adequate for an efiective cleaning underordinary circumstances. However, it will be understood that a greaternumber of nozzles angularly spaced about the circumference of the hawsepipe may be employed if desired. In accordance with the preferredembodiment of this invention, however, it is necessary that at 1east oneof the liquid streams impinge on the anchor chain in a downward verticalline and that the remaining secondary streams make a small angle to thevertical stream to provide a zone of liquid through which the anchorchain passes as it is drawn up along the lower internal surface of thehawse pipe into the vessel.

The anchor chain, in accordance with the present invention, is subjectedto three distinct washings. First, the chain is washed by a flow ofliquid down the hawse pipe as it is being drawn up. Secondly, the anchorchain is washed by a primary vertical stream impinging on the anchorchain from above, said chain lying in the form of an X along the lowerinternal surface of the hawse pipe. This primary stream passes throughthe links of the chain and removes a substantial proportion of theforeign matter adhering thereto. However, this stream alone is notsuficient to completely Wash the anchor chain free of mat-- ter clingingto the sides of the chain links. Such remaining matter is removedinaccordance with the present device by angular streams of liquidstriking the sides of the chain and passing through the links thereof toeffectively remove remaining matter adhering after the chain has beensubjected to the flow of liquid down the hawse pipe and the verticalliquid stream. The chain, after being washed on its underside by theflow of liquid down the hawse pipe, on its topside by the verticalliquid stream, and on its sides by the angular liquid stream, is thussubstantially completely washed free of foreign matter.

Water, being inexpensive and readily available, will ordinarily beemployed as the washing liquid. It will be understood, however, that thepresent invention also contemplates the use of other cleaning liquids.Aqueous or other liquid solutions of various materials may thus be usedto facilitate cleaning of anchor chains in accordance with the presentinvention.

I claim:

1. A device for cleaning the anchor chain of a vessel comprising incombination, a hawse pipe, sloping downwardly and outwardly from thedeck of said vessel to the side of said vessels hull, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced openings piercing the wall of said hawse pipe,a plurality of nozzles, one interfitted into each of said openings, andmeans to supply liquid under pressure to each of said nozzles, one ofsaid nozzles being so positioned as to direct a stream of liquid ensuingtherefrom in a downward vertical line onto an anchor chain drawnupwardly through said hawse pipe, the remaining nozzles being angularlyspaced on either side of the aforementioned nozzle, whereby streams ofliquid ensuing therefrom impinge on either side of said anchor chain, sothat said chain being drawn upwardly through said hawse pipe is washedOn its underside by a flow of liquid passing down the hawse pipe, on itstopside by the liquid stream ensuing from said vertically positionednozzle and on its sides by the liquid streams ensuing from saidangularly positioned nozzles.

2. A device for cleaning the anchor chain of a vessel comprising incombination, a hawse pipe, sloping downwardly and outwardly from thedeck of said vessel to the side of said vessels hull, a pluralit ofcircumfereneially spaced openings piercing the wall of said hawse pipe,a plurality of nozzles, one interfitted into each of said openings, andmeans to supply liquid under pressure to each or" said nozzles, one ofsaid nozzles being so positioned as to direct a stream of liquid ensuingtherefrom in a downward vertical line onto an anchor chain drawnupwardly through said hawse pipe, the remaining nozzles being angularlyspaced on either side of the aforementioned nozzle, whereby streams ofliquid ensuing therefrom impinge on either side of said anchor chain,the projections of said vertical and said angular streams on thevertical plan passing through the axis of said pipe intersecting at anangle between abOut 5 and about 25, so that said chain being drawnupwardly through said hawse pipe is washed on its underside by a flow ofliquid passing down the hawse pipe, on its topside by the liquid streamensuing from said vertically positioned nozzle and on its sides by theliquid streams ensuing from said angularly positioned nozzles.

3. A device for cleaning the anchor chain of a vessel comprising incombination, a hawse pipe, sloping downwardly and outwardly from thedeck of said vessel to the side of said vessels hull, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced openings piercing the wall of said hawse pipe,a plurality of nozzles, one interfitted into each of said openings, andmeans to suppl liquid under pressure to each of said nozzles, one ofsaid nozzles being so positioned as to direct a stream of liquid ensuingtherefrom in a downward vertical line onto an anchor chain drawnupwardly through said hawse pipe, the remaining nozzles being angularlyspaced on either side of the aforementioned nozzle, whereby streams ofliquid ensuing therefrom impinge on either side of said anchor chain,the projections of said vertical and said angular streams on thevertical plane passing through the axis of said pipe intersecting at anangle of about 15, so that said chain being drawn upwardly through saidhawse pipe is washed on its underside by a how of liquid passing downthe hawse pipe, on its topside by the liquid stream enusing from saidvertically positioned nozzle and on its sides by the liquid streamsensuing from said angularly positioned nozzles.

FLOYD B. MCKNEELY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ills ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 622,833 Whitlock Apr. 11, 1899954,882 Powell Apr. 12, 1910 1,392,668 Walton Oct. 4, 1921

